Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences 51 (3): 209 213 (2014) Copyright Pakistan Academy of Sciences ISSN: 0377-2969 (print), 2306-1448 (online) Pakistan Academy of Sciences Research Article The Culture Performance of 17- -methyltestosterone Treated Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Fertilized Ponds Muhammad Hafeez-ur-Rehman 1*, Iftikhar Ahmed 2, Muhammad Ashraf 1, Farzana Abbas 1 and Khalid Javed Iqbal 1 1 Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan 2 Department of Zoology and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan Abstract: Tilapia is the leading farmed species in all over the world due to its taste and the consumer preference. One of the main constraints in Tilapia culture is its early maturation. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of different doses of 17- -methyltestosterone on the growth of Oreochromis niloticus. For this study, the experiment expanded over a period of 166 days in four earthen ponds. Fertilization as control pond in which Tilapia was added which was not sex reversed by 17- -methyltestosterone. In the treated ponds, 17- -methyltestosterone was applied at the rate of 50, 70, and 90 mgkg feed. The net mg 17- -methyltestosteronekg feed pond, respectively. The overall results indicated that the sex-reversed Oreochromis niloticus growth and production were observed with 90 mgkg 17- -methyltestosterone while minimum decrease - -methyltestosterone. The Tilapia which was produced through sex reversal had a capability to grow more as compared to normal Tilapia. Keywords: Culture performance, Tilapia, sex reversed, 17- -methyltestosterone 1. INTRODUCTION Tilapias have become one of the most abundantly in the world, after carp. Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus was introduced in Pakistan during 1950, while Oreochromis aureus and Oreochromis niloticus were imported in 1985 for aquaculture in saline waters of the country [1]. However, they considered as pest, due to which although Tilapia throughout the world but has many constraints of its culture in Pakistan. The constraints are lack of Pakistan has vast areas of salt waters which can be best utilized for culturing tilapia species, for these environments. They are also disease can tolerate poor water condition. The production rate of tilapia is 85000 tons per year in Thailand, Taiwan, China, Philippines, Belgium and USA [2]. Methyltestosterone is the most commonly used androgen to direct the sex of tilapia. Sex reversal by oral administration of feed incorporated with methyltestosterone is probably the most effective and practical method for the production of all Received, April 2012; Accepted, July 2014 *Corresponding Author: Muhammad Hafeez-ur-Rehman; Email: mhafeezurehman@uvas.edu.pk
210 Muhammad Hafeez-ur-Rehman et al male Tilapia. Various protocols regarding dose rate and treatment duration have been evaluated. All depend on hormonal treatment with sexually the beginning to end of the gonadal differentiation period with a proper dose of androgen the resultant Sex reversed tilapia fry production through administration of androgen (17- - and economically feasible method for obtaining all male Tilapia populations [4]. In a previous study, different doses of 17- -methyltestosterone hormone (MT) used as a growth promoter was administrated to Nile tilapia; Oreochromis niloticus applied doses were 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg MTkg feed. The obtained results showed that only the dose of 5 mgkg was the optimum effective and SGR of Nile tilapia [5]. Dan and Little [6] compared the culture performance of different species of stains of Oreochromis niloticus found Hence, this investigation aimed to evaluate culture performance of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) treated with 17- -methyltestosterone in fertilized earthen ponds. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiment was conducted over a period of 166 days during the month of May to October in four earthen ponds, each measuring 25m x 8m x 1.5m at the Fisheries Research Farms, Department of Zoology and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Fertilization of all the ponds was done with cow dung at the rate of 0.1 g N100 were stocked in each pond. The supplementary body daily. One pond was kept as control in which Tilapia was added which was not sexreversed by 17- -methyltestosterone while in pond 1, pond 2 and pond 3, 17- -methyltestosterone were applied at the rate of 50, 70, and 90 mgkg feed, respectively. Fish growth was measured in terms of increase in body by random capturing of into their respective ponds. The data of growth parameters was subjected to statistical analysis through microcomputer using MSTATC packages following [8]. 3. RESULTS After 166 days of rearing, all Tilapia were harvested from all the ponds. Survival rate throughout the experimental period. The initial average body s of Tilapia were 20.2, 22.1, 103.6 and 112.3 g in control, 50, 70, and 90 mg 17- -methyltestosteronekg feed, respectively. There were net s of 58.8, 71.0, 81.3 and 88.3g. 1346.59, 1498.46 and 1624.30 kghayear while the net production was 850.48, 1026.94, 1179.2 and 1277.17 kghayear in control, 50, 70, and 90 mg 17- -methyltestosteronekg feed, respectively (Fig. 1). However, pond-3 (which was treated with 90 mgkg feed 17- -methyltestosterone) showed the best in overall. Fish body varied fortnights (P<0.05) The water was taken from the tube well of the Fisheries Research Farms. Mean ph ranged from 7.5-8.8 were within the suitable concentrations ranged from 4.73-8.5 mg L -1 in the morning and 5.03-7.2 mg L -1 in the afternoon. Temperature was 23.9-28.1 o C (morning) and 26.9-29.2 C (afternoon). According to Phelps and Popma [10] DO concentrations should remain above 4 mg L -1 and the optimum temperature between 26 28 C
211 Field yield (kghayear) Fig. 1. - -methyltestosterone in the 4. DISCUSSION The results of the present research showed that different dose rates of methyltestosterone affected the growth of Oreochromis niloticus (P<0.05). All the treatments which received methyltestosterone, showed more average body and in body of Oreochromis niloticus than the control (Table 1). This was due to 17- -methyltestosterone, which was orally administrated in their feed. The same results were observed by Ridha and Lone [11] who observed that treated groups with 17- -methyltestosterone control pond. These results are in line with 17- - culture of tilapia by different authors. Hanson et al [12]reported that 10-60 ppm methyltestosterone treatment showed the best growth than control. Varadaraj et al [13] observed faster growth in O. mossambicus when fed 17- -methyltestosterone. These results are also in line with Dan and Little [6] who compared the culture performance of different strains of O. niloticus and found that considering all strains, methyltestosterone treatment resulted in a In the present experiment, it was observed that in treated pond, the maximum growth was observed in pond 3 in which 17- -methyltestosterone given at the rate of 90 mg than 50, and 70 mg of 17- -methyltestosterone and this was in accordance with Carvalho and Foresti [14] who gave the different level of treatment Tilapia with 30, 50 or 100 mg of 17- -methyltestosterone. The highest growth rate was recorded in pond, which received 100 mg of 17- -methyltestosterone than other treated pond. Semi-intensive production in ponds using fertilizers and supplementary feeding (rice polish) is a mean of producing low cost tilapia in developing countries like Pakistan. The advantages of such culture are widely recognized for rural food supply. It can provide an opportunity to balance the use of supplementary feeding in correlation with the natural food availability and hence reduce the production cost. The reduced growth in control pond which was not sex reversed may be due further propagation of tilapia resulted in higher densities in the system leading to competition for food and space. These results are in line with David et al [15] who reported that limitations of feed availability in the fertilized, semi-intensive system may have exacerbated the relatively poorer growth of larger, older seeds, but these conditions are typical of those used by farmers in many developing countries. Maximum in ponds was noted during optimum temperature while the lowest was observed during low temperature. The same results were obtained by Varadaraj [13]as some
212 Muhammad Hafeez-ur-Rehman et al Table 1. Fortnightly average body and in control and experimental ponds. No. of Fortnights Control (50 mg17- methyltestosterone (70 mg17- methyltestosterone (90 mg17- methyltestosterone 1 20.2±1.50-22.1±2.10-22.3±1.10-24.0±2.20-2 29.9±1.30 9.7 33.0±2.20 11.8 34.2±2.11 11.9 36.1±2.15 12.1 3 38.2±2.10 8.3 44.5±2.30 10.6 45.0±1.14 10.8 47.7±2.11 11.6 4 45.7±2.15 7.5 54.5±2.20 10.0 55.3±1.18 10.3 58.4±2.13 10.7 5 52.4±2.25 6.7 69.2±2.30 9.7 65.3±2.10 9.9 68.1±2.24 9.7 6 58.5±2.15 6.1 71.4±2.20 7.2 73.6±2.30 8.3 76.6±2.30 8.5 7 63.6±3.25 5.1 77.7±2.10 6.3 81.0±1.50 7.4 84.1±2.20 7.5 8 67.9±3.05 4.3 81.9±2.15 4.2 87.3±1.80 6.3 90.9±2.15 6.8 9 71.5±2.50 3.6 85.4±3.10 3.5 92.6±2.40 5.3 97.7±2.25 6.8 10 74.0±2.30 3.0 88.5±3.20 3.1 96.7±2.30 4.1 103.8±1.90 8.1 11 76.7±2.20 2.7 90.9±3.15 2.4 100.2±2.10 3.5 107.4±1.95 3.6 12 79.0±2.10 2.3 93.1±3.20 2.2 103.6±2.10 3.4 112.3±2.20 4.9 factors like temperature affected the sex reversal of fry which increase the growth rate and survival of Tilapia. Smith and Phelps [16] also reported that metabolism highly depend upon temperature. There then, water temperature remained favourable for than air temperature these results are in accordance with Mahboob et al [17]. 5. CONCLUSIONS The sex-reversed Tilapia exhibited maximum growth with the application of 90 mgkg 17-alpha methyltestosterone. The Tilapia which produced through sex reversal has a capability to grow more as compared to un-treated Tilapia. It is suggested that future studies may consider using higher rates of the hormone dosage to evaluate the growth potential of sex reversed Tilapia. 6. REFERENCES 1. Khan, A.M., Z. Ali, S.Y. Shelly, Z. Ahmad & M.R. Mirza. Aliens; a catastrophe for native fresh water Pakistan Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences 21(2): 435-440 (2011). 2. Coward, K. & N.R. Bromage. Reproductive physiology of female tilapia broodstock. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 40(1): 1-25 (2000). 3. Phelps, R.P. Sex reversal: The directed control of gonadal development in tilapia. In: D.E. Meyer (Ed), Proceedings for Tilapia Sessions from the 6 th Central American Aquaculture Symposium Tegucigalpa, Honduras, p. 35-60 (2001). 4. Guerrero, R.D. III & L.A. Guerrero. Feasibility of commercial production of sex-reversed Nile In: R.S.V. Pullin, T. Bhukasawan, K. Tonguthai & J.C. Maclean (Eds.). 2nd International Symposium in Aquaculture. ICLARM Conference Proc.15.
213 Department of Fisheries, Bangkok, Thailand and ICLARM, Manila, Philippines (1988). 5. Ahmad, M.H., A.M.E. Shalaby, Y.A.E. Khattab & terone on growth performance and some (Oreochromis niloticus L.). Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Fish Biology 4(4): 295-311 (2002). 6. Dan, N.C. & D.C. Little. The culture performance of monosex and mixed-sex new-season and overwintered fry in three strains of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in northern Vietnam. Aquaculture 184: 221-231(2000). 7. Javed, M. & M.B. Sial. Fish pond fertilizatiom. III: Effect of layer manure fertilization on the Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhina mrigala. Pakistan Journal of Agriculture Science 28(2): 115-120 (1991). 8. Steel, R.G.D., J.H. Torrie & D.A. Dinkkey. Principles and Procedures of Statistics, 2nd ed. McGraw Hill Book Co., Singapore (1996). 9. Boyd, C. E. culture New York, USA, 318 pp. (1982). 10. Phelps, R.P. & T.J. Popma. Sex reversal of tilapia. In: B. A. Costa-Pierce & J. E. Rackocy (Eds.). Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas, Vol. 2. The World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, p. 34-59 (2000). 11. Ridha, M.T., & K.P. Lone. Effect of oral administration of different levels of 17-- -methyltestosterone on the sex reversal, growth and food conversion Oreochromis spilurus (Gunther) in brackish water. Aquaculture and Fisheries Management 21(4):391-397 (1990). 12. Hanson, R., R.O. Sinithevman. W.H. Shelton & R.A. Dunham. Growth comparison of monosex tilapia produced by separation of sexes hybridization and sex reversal, p. 570 579. In: L. Fishelson & Z. Yaron (compsi). Proceedings of International symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, 8-13 May 1983. Aviv University, Nazareth, Israel (1983). 13. Varadaraj, K., S.S. Kumari & T.J. Pandian. Comparison of conditions for hormonal sex reversal of Tilapia mossambique. Progressive Fish-Culturist 56(2): 81-90 (1994). 14. Carvalho, E.D. & F. Foresti. Sex reversal in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) induced by treatment with 17-alpha-methyltestosterone: Sex ratio and histology of gonads. Brazilian Journal of Biology 56(2): 249-262 (1996). 15. David, C.L, C.B. Ram & A. P. Tuan. Advanced nursing of mixed-sex and mono-sex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fry, and its impact on subsequent growth in fertilized ponds. Aquaculture 221: 265 276 (2003). 16. Smith, E.S. & R.P. Phelps. Impact of feed storage reversal of Nile tilapia. North American Journal of Aquaculture 63(2): 242-245 (2001). 17. Pakistan Journal of Zoology 34(1): 51-56 (2002).